Enjoyed out of a 12 oz brown bottle and was pleased to find this one marked with a bottling date--or one that hadn't rubbed off, I should say. The bottling date on this one was 7/24/12, so it's got a good 18 months on it for those of you counting at home. Poured into a Boulevard Smokestack tulip glass. I've had this beer many times, but decided it was about time I actually reviewed it, before it goes away temporarily before coming back in a new bottle format. But onto the review...

Appearance - No gushing (thankfully), but I do set the bottle down for a moment after opening and the foam slowly starts to creep up out of the mouth of the bottle. I begin to pour as gently as possible and get about halfway through the bottle before I stop to prevent the glass from foaming over. Wait and repeat several times until I get the rest of the bottle emptied. Throughout the course of this there is an enormous cream-colored rocky head of hundreds of medium-sized and smaller bubbles. If I didn't know better, I would tell you it's whipped cream. It makes the beer look like an ice cream float. The body is a murky golden orange, somewhat resembling orange marmalade without the particles of orange. It's also a little darker--maybe the color of dried apricots.

Smell - Musty, barnyard funk and yeast, wet hay, grass clippings, as well as lemon zest, nectarine, granny smith apple, grapefruit juice, light grain and even some wet leather. The funkiness of the Brettanomyces is the star here, much to my pleasure. Of course, I suppose that is to be expected after a year and a half.

Taste - Wonderfully funky, with some faint sourness--maybe more tart--of lemon juice. Musty, damp cellar, woody notes as well as some fresher notes of grass and baby garden greens. There is a pleasant undertone of water crackers and a slight peppery element as well.

Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied and highly carbonated. Probably one of the most carbonated beers I've ever had--prickly and effervescent like champagne, but with a heftier body.

Overall, this is easily my favorite offering from Green Flash. It bills itself as an Orval-inspired beer, and I'll say this: the heavy use of Brett and the fact that this beer is wonderful fresh or with a good amount of age on it definitely put it in the same company with Orval. However, to its credit, it is a different and interesting beer in its own right. Just a fantastically imaginative beer from GF and I can't really think of anything in the U.S. that is quite like it--or maybe quite like it and as good.

Poured into a large tulip glass a hazed peach infused light golden with a sticky one and a half finger white head atop.Alot of citrus fruit in the nose with lighter yeasty spice and funk notes,the citrus fruit really jumps out.Fresh orange lemony citric flavors domante the flavor profile,refreshing and sharp,light phenols and funky brett are kept in check pretty well,the alcohol provides a little sweet punch as it warms.This is top notch and dangerous with its refreshing citrusy flavors,it's too easy to drink.

APP- Massive ivory tower of head fills the glass despite coddling the pour. Billows into a tight, creamy, mesa that peaks over the rim of the glass and includes both fine and large beading. Fades fairly quickly leaving sheets of lace. When some finally turns to liquid, clarity is very good but short of brilliant and color is brassy.

AROMA- Amazingly soft and subtle complex perfumey nose. Where to begin? Citrus, white pepper, straw, green melon, hints of fermeted peach and apricot, light hits of kiwi and rhubarb. Has a big clover dimension which I find to be the mark of my favorite Cantillion offerings. Amazing. Very fresh and inviting. There is nothing even remotely dank, musty, sour, etc...in the aroma here. Medium-light floral/ spicy character that is key to the bouquet but hard to pin down. No diacetyl or harsh alcohol. Not immediately recognizable as hoppy, like when its fresh.

Flavor- Malty- sweetness pervades, surprisingly, with a strong tone of white pepper and pineapple, melon shows up again, as does a faint shadow of rhubarb, slight fusel/acetate note, a fleeting rubbery (oxidized phenol?) character. I get a medium-stong English-Goldings like character (apple, pear, spicy) in the mid-palate, tartness cows to sweentness in the balance but does show up in the backend along with some bitterness. Long finish with a distinctly resinous aftertaste.

MF- solidly medium-bodied, medium carbonation once things settle down (its amazing how quickly the fizz leaves this beer), can be a little flabby on the palate, and also lightly astringent at the same time. I do believe it shows some oxidation effects.

OVERALL- While this might be one of the best beers I've ever smelled, its flavor is a bit messy, despite having some very pleasing characteristics. If this is one to lay down, two years is either too long or some sort of awkward phase.

It pours a nearly crystal clear orange color with a billowing white head. Sticky foam coats the side of the glass and a nice bubbly cap stays on the beer.

The aroma is the classic Brett funk one gets with Orval with a touch less earth and barn and a little more citrus. It's just great, crisp and refreshing and inviting me to take a sip.

The flavor is not as funky as the nose would suggest. Some citrus esters with some dirt coming in at the end. Little to no barn or horse in there. It could very well be an age thing though. A supporting bitterness makes the beer balanced and the medium high carbonation makes for a crisp finish with little aftertaste.

This is for sure a poor mans Orval. $10/4-pack or $5 a bottle. One of these days I'll do a side by side so I can find the difference. Until then I give the nod to Green Flash for copying Goose Island and coming out with a year round Brett finished golden Belgian Ale

I went thru my Belgian phase years ago, & never was a fan of funky beers made with brett yeast. But I love GF beers & saw this was new, so I decided to give it a go.

Pours a beautiful bright gold with a tight tiny bubble head. Flashed back & smelled that funky Brett yeast along with some pepper & lemon notes prior to the sip. Awesome floral scent, a true symphony of flavors to the nose.

Nice balance of lemon, black pepper & slight funk in the taste. Tight carb & very bubbly on the tongue. Funk is more pronounced in the aftertaste in a good way. Also a bit tart. Alcohol is well hidden & this is a fairly easy-drinking beer.

Really liked this beer & will buy again when I'm in the mood for something Belgian-ish.

This come out a little heavy and heady, but its pale yellow with a darker tinge is true to form. Hesitating to wipe my head and stick a finger in it, I wait for it to settle.

The nose is almost saisonish: a lemony lime peel zest with coriander and ginger. Interesting and, like I said, zesty, but a little off-putting like a fresh whiff of voluminous coriander seed.

Most important, however, is that it tastes good. I do sense those flavors and the ginger is there like slices with sushi from Teeter. The Belgian lemon zest is also there, and it's really a neat and novel concoction of flavors.

That aforementioned lemon peel zing offers a very nice mouthfeel, and the zing adds a perfect palate cleanser. Prelude to a sour?

A neat and welcome addition to the Green Flash Fleet--picked this up at Brawley's--particularly since the West Coast IPA went the way of wood left rotting with the pursuit of the 4-pack (anybody else feel similar slippage since they made that change--really, an ingredient difference?). Ive only seen it once on that most recent pilgrimage to Brawley's, but I'll definitely pick up another foursome if and when I see it again

Flavorful and full of intrigue. More fresh basil, some barnyard, more pepper, light leather, layers of Brett charged phenolics and musty/funkyness, add a hint of smoke, a slight bite of ginned up alcohol, and some near dank hoppyness...yeah complex and tasty.

A: Towering off white head sits on top of this hazy golden brew. The head refuses to give out leaving behind pillows of foam.

S: Biscuit and grain intertwined with bright fruitiness which consists of peach, citrus, and tropical fruit. There are even notes of lychee mostly upon first pour. There is an earthy base to the nose with a hint of grass and the barnyard funk comes through more and more as the brew warms and the huge head of foam fades.

T: The malt back bone is mostly grainy and biscuity with a hint of caramel sweetness. There is also ample amounts of barnyard funk from the Bret with a some sour, acidic bite. Layered on top of this is a nice fruit sweetness which is mostly of peach, banana, along with a splash of pineapple juice. The hops balance things out with a fresh citrus, cut grass bitterness. There is a spicy and warming alcohol finish which comes through more as the beer warms.

O: An interesting West Coast Belgian which sports a melange of flavors that, for the most part, find a balance. At times the brew seems busy but settles to a nice smoothness as you adjust to the palate. More balanced than Green Flash's Le Freak, Rayon Vert transplants the heart of a Belgian into the body of a California ale transfused with several pints of Brett. With ample love and nursing this brew heralds the beginning of a new style of craft beers.

The beer pours a golden-orange color with a white head. The aroma is very nice. I get a ton of brett, as well as some nice leather notes. Hidden in the background are some spice and orange citrus notes.

The flavor is more of the same. What stands out the most is the brett and orange notes, but there is also quite a bit of leather and white pepper mixed in. The beer is very dry.

Tastes like olive brine, drain cleaner and perfume, all mixed together. Slight funk, probably from a souring bacteria or wild yeast, and a heavy phenolic presence I associate with infected homebrew. Those flavors combine with the massive hopping to create an artificial perfumey-chemical aroma and flavor. It's interesting, and tastes better if you keep trying and get used to it, but it never gets past 'horribly infected' to me.